Where is Des Browne?

GCM

Have I missed something? Defence has been in the news quite a lot recently; Bliar, Brown (the other one), Beckett have all been getting on their soap boxes; Generals, Admirals (serving and comfy) putting in their pennyworths; debates raging on IRQ, AFG, SLA, SFA, PTSD etc.

But where is Swiss? I could vouch for his existence last year (he nodded at me when I let him on the escalator with a cheery "Good morning Sir, after you") but I haven't seen or heard a dicky from him this year. Why isn't the man providing his Dept with some leadership? Is he being groomed and can't afford to raise is head above the parapet (a la Reid) or is he hiding in his constituency gain?

LE

The oratory of Des Browne is one of this country's last great unexploited resources. Let us at once concede that on first hearing Mr Browne, listeners are usually struck by the extreme dullness of the Defence Secretary's tone, and the poverty of his ideas.